Our first (and Likely last) Camping Trip + A Guide to Eau Claire, Wisconsin

If you're not caught up from my instagram, here's the story. Five months ago Josiah and I had to move out of our Chicago apartment because of an act of violence that made it no longer safe to live there. Instead of just moving to a new Chicago apartment, we both figured out how to make our jobs mobile, bought an old camper, and renovated it in hopes of traveling the United States for six months to a year. A lofty and insanely adventurous endeavor for sure. 

Knowing we were still tied to Chicago until I finished wedding season, we decided to take the camper out for a short test run to get a feel of what things would be like living in it for an extended period of time. We quickly learned that hauling a camper across the country was no willy-nilly task. We left on a Friday after Josiah got off work and what was supposed to be under 5 hours took us over 6 hours to get there. This included bottoming out the camper midway between home and Eau Claire resulting in the camper pulling in a tug-of-war fashion the entire rest of the way and also resulting in both Josiah and I’s blood pressure staying at an insanely unhealthy level for nearly 2.5 hours. Not the greatest start.

We arrived at our campsite and began setting up IN THE DARK. A series of other mishaps and fails quickly opened our eyes to the difficulties that could easily arise living full-time on the road. When Josiah woke up on our last night in Eau Claire, I reluctantly uttered the words "I hate camping." He's always been the one more into the idea than I, so I was surprised and really relieved when he replied, "Me too." 

Over Labor Day Weekend, despite our hesitation because of how stressful the last trip had been, we packed up our camper and towed it to a state park that was 30 minutes from our house only to realize that something was wrong with one of the electrical connections on the camper leaving us with zero electricity. My dad, Josiah, and one of my parent's friends tried everything imaginable to get it to work and after two solid hours, we resolved to just tow the camper back home.

Just a few days after our second failed attempt, our jeep was totaled in an accident leaving us with nothing to pull it with. Fearful of being halfway across the country (trying to work!) and dealing with the incessant list of issues that seam to arise, our cross-country road trip we had planned, has been put on the back-burner. So as of now Eau Claire, Wisconsin still stands as our first and only camping trip. Whether future trips will happen or not, who's to know. Maybe we're just Airbnb people after all. Either way, renovating the trailer was half the fun. (Or three-quarters. or 99.9%) and we were so happy to have had the experience!

Below you will find recommendations if you are visiting Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

Food

• The Nucleus - A really great brunch place.

• Informalist - The farm-to-table restaurant we went to for our anniversary dinner.

• Farmers Market - There are so many vendors and it's all under a covering so even if it is raining it's worth going.

Coffee

• Shift - A super cute bike and coffee shop put together.

• Racey's - A dog-friendly little coffee shop connected to The Nucleus. You can actually order food from the Nucleus and eat at Racey's.

Sights + Shops

• Farmer's Market

• Downtown trail - A fun, paved trail that goes through the downtown and by the river.

• Lake Wisotta State Park - Great Hiking!

• Mount Simon - This is only a short little hike to get some great views of Eau Claire.

• Volume One: The Local Store - A super cool gift shop that sells all local goods.

• Revival Records - A really cool record shop!

Our Favorite Coffee + Food in Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville, oh Nashville, where to even begin. To be honest, Nashville has never been at the top of my list of places to visit. Country music has never been my thing and I had many other cities I still hadn't made it to yet that I considered "higher priority." But when some of our best couple friends invited us to join them in Nashville for the Fourth of July, we dropped everything and went. We spent three days there and despite the ridiculously intense heat, we enjoyed a lot of wonderful coffee and a lot of amazing food and I started to see where all of the hype surrounding this city came from! The lack of traffic and absence of general business alone (in comparison to Chicago) had me ready to sign a lease and move. Still not out of the question. ;) I can't wait to plan another visit! Here is a round up of all of the places we loved! If you've been to Nashville, share with me some of your favorite spots!

Hattie B's

Not a healthy place in the slightest, but worth every fried bite! Hattie B's serves up hot chicken to your preferred spiciness level and it is so good! Although fried, the chicken isn't nearly as greasy as a lot of other fried chicken I've had. I got the medium spiciness chicken tenders with coleslaw and fries. Highly recommend!

Pinewood Social

If you're not on broadway with all of the tourists, this place is the place to be! It's a super chill bar / coffee shop / bowling alley full of photo-worthy couch sitting areas. They also have a patio full of yard games and even have a pool! We spent our first evening here and contemplated another. It's the perfect spot to work during the day or cap off the evening at. Obsessed! 

Dose

Coming from Chicago I was initially slightly underwhelmed by the amount of trendy coffee shops in Nashville, but although there were few, the ones we went to, were great! Dose was no exception. My only consistent disappointment was the lack of oatmilk (my favorite non-dairy alternative), but eventually I anticipate some shops to start carrying it. Dose served up an amazing iced almond milk latte, drip coffee, and a very unique avocado toast (with roasted corn, jalepenos, feta, and pickled onions). It was super close to our air b and b in East Nashville so we popped over there a few times. They had a nice, bright vibe and a wide selection of tiems that I really enjoyed. Definitely recommend checking it out! 

Five Daughters Bakery

Known for their 100-layer donuts, this adorable bakery is a MUST if you're in Nashville. Josiah and I shared a peanut butter chocolate one that was really good! Next time I am going to try one of their paleo donuts! 

Burger Up

Although Burger Up is known best for it's beef burgers (obviously) after having Hattie B's fried chicken the night before, I decided to go with a lighter option. I ordered the quinoa patty and a kale salad with parmasan, hazelnuts, and dried cranberries. Oh my gosh, it was so good! Everyone else ordered different burgers and they raved about theirs as well. Definitely a solid place! 

Barista Parlor

I would consider this a coffee shop for serious coffee lovers, but it was super fun! It's a very open space that had a lot of tables available if you wanted to work here during the day. Although I paid almost $8 for an iced almond milk latte, it was so tasty! The neighborhood (Germantown) that this coffee shop was nestled in was cute and fun to explore too. 

Biscuit Love

I don't want to hype this place up to much because I probably wouldn't wait an hour in line again to eat here, but it was a fun experience and seems to be considered a staple when visiting Nashville. I ordered the sausage hash with two sunny side eggs and it was really tasty! According to everyone else at our table the biscuits seemed to be a bit overrated though. 

Ugly Mugs Coffee & Tea

The name alone makes me love this place! They serve up an amazing iced almond milk latte and according to my friend Caitlin, vanilla latte as well. Perhaps my favorite thing about this place was their "Love Coffee Love People" t-shirts that they sold. Definitely picking one up on my next trip! 

Wild Cow

Located right next to Ugly Mugs Coffee & Tea, this adorable little hippie vegetarian restaurant is stealing hearts of meat eaters and veggie heads alike. I ordered the sweet potato black bean tacos with vegan sour cream on corn tortillas with vegan queso and chips and Josiah ordered the chipotle portabello tacos with pineapple coleslaw on the side. Both dishes were so, so good! Their menu had so many amazing options, I'm sad we only got to eat here once! Be aware that they are closed on Tuesdays so you don't make plans to go only to realize they're closed. Not that that happened to us or anything. ;)

Crema

Probably my favorite coffee shop in Nashville! it reminded me so much of one of my favorite Chicago spots. They served up a delicious avocado toast that had goat cheese on it (game changer!) as well as another amazing iced almond milk latte. It's such a bright and plant filled space --- i love it! 

Our Favorite Coffee + Food in Paris, France

After spending three days in Amsterdam and enjoying all of the incredible dairy-free and gluten-free options they had to offer, I was initially a little underwhelmed with Paris' food scene. That's not to say I didn't find amazing places to eat foods that I enjoyed, but it was much more difficult to find a coffee shop with almond milk or oat milk to put in my coffee. This meant often times just drinking it black, which I'll admit, is't the end of the world. But after a bit more research I came across a handful of places that seemed worthy of time. I'm happy to report that after all of that searching we landed on a TON of great places that I will probably be dreaming about for years to come. This guide includes a few cafes and restaurants that have gluten-free and dairy-free options to make traveling with dietary restrictions not only less stressful, but exciting and enjoyable. 

Holybelly

This place was so fun! It reminded me a lot of a place we like in Chicago called Hutch. It's a very trendy brunch place and the line was pretty long to get in, but the food was totally worth the wait. I had a poached eggs, kale salad, and sausage, which is super simple, but was so, so satisfying and delicious! The only thing I wasn't a fan of was how close we were sitting to other people, but I would definitely still go back to this place. It is for sure one of those places though that if you go at prime brunch time then you are going to have to wait a very, very long time to get a table. We went on a weekday and waited maybe 20 minutes around 9am. 

Blackburn Coffee

This place was great! They had super cute hipster vibes going on and their espresso was amazing! The staff was very friendly and I would totally go back. I was planning to get drip coffee, but unfortunately they did not have any non-dairy milks and black coffee is not my favorite so I opted for espresso (which I do find tasty without any plant-based milks). 

Bob's Juice Bar

This place was super fun and very, very tiny. They have a pretty small menu, but everything is reasonably priced and what we tasted was delicious and refreshing! The little shop has a very west coast DIY feel that I found charming and the staff was very sweet. 

Ten Belles

I loved the little upstairs nook that this shop had! It was so cute! The coffee here was very good, but I was a little disappointed they did not have any non-dairy milks so I tried to drink it black and it was still great. 

Chambelland

This was my favorite place that we ate at in Paris and I would fly back again and again just to try each and everything in their display! The entire bakery is full of gluten-free goodies, but my favorite was their gluten-free breads. They're homemade daily they even use special flour mills that they've created themselves! While I wait to book my next trip to get some of their breads I might have to buy myself a gluten free bread cookbook to make some myself! Their date and nut bread was my favorite! 

O/HP/E

This place doubles as a cafe / decor shop and it has the cutest Scandinavian / modern kitchen tools and home decor. I wanted to buy literally everything they sold! I did treat myself to a little mug and saucer (as if I don't already have enough mugs) and everything time I use it I think of our wonderful trip! This is definitely a fun place to pop in, look around, and then grab a treat to mucnh on. 

Dose Dealer de Cafe

This coffee shop was close to our air b and b so we frequented it daily. I loved how the maintained the charming classic Paris atmosphere, but offered some trendier options. Their regular coffee as well as their almond milk flat white were great. They were super fast (which I definitley appreicate when I am getting my first cup of the day!) but they also had a cute outdoor seating area that you could sit and relax for as long as you wanted and not feel rushed. 

Le Guynemer

This was a nostalgic visit for us. When we were in Paris for our honeymoon we frequented this cafe because it was close to our hotel. Going back there was super fun! It's one of those places that gives you a truly authentic Parisian experience. It's located just outside of the Luxembourg gardens and is the perfect place to grab a late breakfast and espresso. 

Coutume

This is the restaurant that inspired me to start incorporating a salad into breakfast. I order the salmon, poached eggs, and avocado and it came with SO many greens! It was so unbelievably tasty and it felt so good to fill up on greens so early in the day. Josiah had toast with pickled beets, cauliflower, hazelnuts, and some sort of honey sauce drizzle. It's a very hipster brunch / lunch place, but it really did live up to the hype. Definitely add it to you list to visit! 

Thank You My Deer

I definitely would give this restaurant a 10/10 based on their amazing customer service. The owner greeted us so eagerly and kindly made sure that our every need was not only met, but anticipated. She was so, so very thoughtful! This was our last meal in Paris before heading back to Amsterdam and I can't think of a better way to be sent off. They have a very good gluten-free menu. We kept it very basic and just went with eggs with gluten-free bread. They had great coffee as well! We also ordered a carrot, strawberry, grapefruit juice that was delicious! It was so light and the perfect way to spent our last morning in Paris. 

Our Favorite Coffee + Food in Amsterdam, Netherlands

This past spring Josiah and I spent a week in Amsterdam and had the best time ever! We loved the culture so much! I wanted to put this list together and I hesitate to call it a guide because there is no way I can sit here and tell you I know the ins and outs of all there is to know about Amsterdam, but I can tell you a lot of awesome places we went so that you can add them to your list when you are planning your next trip! So think of it more as an inspiring outline of what we did while we were there and a little guidance to get you started. If you have any additional recommendations I would love to hear them! 

COFFEE

BLACK GOLD

This trendy, hipster's dream of a coffee shop-record shop combo was so fun to visit. It worked perfectly for the coffee-lover in me and my record-enthusiast husband. It's a former laundromat that is naturally lit with a neutral color palette and as you would expect from any vinyl shop, eclectic decor.  I ordered an oatmilk latte (which was basically my order at every single coffee shop in Amsterdam) and grabbed a seat in the back where I was surrounded by greenery in a cool bench area in a cutout window while Josiah flipped through all of the records. 

De Koffieschenkerij

This is actually a coffee shop we didn't get to visit when we were visiting, but it has really great reviews and it is in one of Amsterdam's oldest buildings so I am certain it will be on our list the next time we are there.  Below you can see their outside patio area and it looks so, so cute, 

White Label Coffee

This place had one of the most unique coffee shop set ups I had ever seen. When you first walk in you will immediately notice that the shop is broken up into multiple levels with the barista station being at the very top (see picture below). It was such a fun vibe and the coffee was so amazing. A lot of restaurants around Amsterdam carry White Label coffee, but I definitely recommend going to the shop to get the full experince of their brand.

Scandinavian Embassy

This coffee shop served up an amazing oatmilk latte! It's located right off of an adorable little park that Josiah and I spent a beautiful afternoon hanging out in before grabbing a little caffeine pick-me-up. My favorite part about this coffee shop was the fact that we could easily find a seat and didn't feel rushed to leave. Scandinavian Embassy boasts an award winning barista which was super fun to see too! 

FOOD

Hearth

I don't think Josiah and I are being dramatic when we describe the dinner we had at Hearth as one of our favorite meals we have ever eaten. This innovative, vegan restaurants really made us think differently about vegan cuisine. We had vegan sushi that quite literally blew out minds! The sushi consisted of quinoa, cucumber, roasted red bell peppers, and avocado rolled up with seaweed and topped with a spicy vegan mayo. We also tried a vegan pasta dish that consisted of ravioli-like pasta pieces filled with eggplants, red bell pepper, and zucchini served with a potato sauce and parlsey compote. We finished of our meal with a vegan tiramisu that we tried to eat as slowly as we possibly could. No matter how slow we went, it still was gone too quickly! I can not recommend this place enough! 

The Meets

This was one of the many places that came up when I searched "healthy eats in Amsterdam" so naturally it made my list of "must visits". When we arrived here the first time we were kind of still full from breakfast, but not quite ready for dinner so we ended up getting what they called "the meets platter" which consisted of falafel, beet bites, and sweet potato chips with a few different dips. We also ordered a slice of cashew acai cheesecake because when you're dairy free it's impossible to not be tempted by any and all treats you can have. We also made a second visit for dessert another evening during our trip because I HAD to try the vegan twix. Although we only tried a very small portion of their menu  I definitely would highly recommend this place!

CT Coffee & Coconuts

If you go to Amsterdam and can only visit one restaurant/coffee shop, this is the one to go to. It's located in an old movie theater that was built in the 1920's and brings funky, chill island-like vibes together to create a relaxing and entertaining experience. First, their drink menu alone is incredible! They have a million smoothie options along with some incredible coffee and cocktail options. My favorite was the coconut coffee. It's basically espresso blended with a banana, coconut milk, and chocolate. It's so dreamy and maybe eventually I can recreate a version to share here. Oh also it's three stories and it's GORGEOUS! We went here twice during our visit and if time would have allowed you better believe there would have been a third. 

Lavinia Good Food

This was hands down our most frequented place during our visit in Amsterdam. It was definitely delicious, but it was also convenient from where we were staying and included a ton of gluten-free and dairy-free options on their menu. Their service (despite what a lot of yelp reviews said) was so amazing! It was fun to have the same waitress every single morning that we went there for breakfast and she was a total gem. I absolutely loved the flatbread pizza that we got here and their avocado toast with lox was so, so good. I love that their menu included a lot of items that both tasted amazing and left you feeling great! 

Parallel

This place was recommended to us by our air b and b host as a nice place to go for a slightly fancy, but not too fancy dinner and she could not have been more spot on. We ordered five different tapas and all of them (except maybe one) were gluten-free and dairy-free. I loved how vegetable forward the dishes were and how they presented ingredients in a way I would never have imagined! They had a whipped coconut cream horseradish dip served with vegetable spears that I still think about all the time. This place was so fun and I would for sure go back again the next time we are in Amsterdam. 

The Avocado Show

This place made it to my "must-see" list before we left because my mother sent me a link to it and I immediately knew I had to go! As the name might lead you to expect, their menu is full of all things avocado. They have so many unique uses avocado that it makes this place a really cool experience. I got the avocado toast and Josiah got the avocado matcha pancakes (served with avocado between the pancakes!). It was super good! Fortunately we went during the week at an atypical meal time (2pm), but during the weekend and brunch hours it can be a multople house wait! 

 Bagels and Beans

This place might rank so high with me personally because it was the first place we ate in Amsterdam. After our long overnight flight it was the place that provided the caffeine I so desperately needed as well as a delicious breakfast. Although I was caffeine deprived and would probably have been thankful for even a dunkin' donuts coffee, I was blown away by how good their coffee was! I think almost twelve times while we were there I exclaimed how amazing it was! To eat, I ordered a prana bagel (low traces of gluten) with avocado, hummus, sprouts, dukkah, and lettuce. It was so delicious and I'm actually sad that we only made it here once during our visit. There are multiple locations throughout the city. There are so many in fact that I started to wonder if it was the starbucks of Amsterdam. Whether it is or isn't, their food and coffee are damn good and I highly recommend it.